Heir of the Cosmos
by GlitchWarrior
Summary: When a mysterious army known as Red Nova- led by Sturm's daughter, Deiku- attacks the continent of Alpha Land, Andy, Eagle, and Lash take action to defend their world. Unfortunately, they have to deal with the kidnapping of Sonja, which sparks a war between Olaf and Kanbei, and, even worse, old memories that threaten Sami's loyalty to the group...
1. Lash and Sonja

**I'm finding a severe lack of representation about Advance Wars in the world. And now, with the dawn of Macro Tactics, a spiritual successor on Steam Greenlight, coming ever closer, I feel it's as good a time as any to get this out! The prologue should introduce the main antagonist, and stretch into Lash and Sonja's relationship since AW3.**

 **The events of this fic take place two years(?) after AW3. Black Hole has their own land now, and Hawke is their leader. Von Bolt and Sturm, obviously, are both dead. The Allied Nations are experiencing prolonged peace, but that won't stop evil from rearing its ugly head...**

PROLOGUE PART 1

"So, as I was saying," Lash said, with her usual goofy smile, "you've gotta stop something if you wanna start it! Make sense?"

Sonja face-palmed. She'd been spending too much time with Black Hole's supergenius. The whole reason they were both in this area was because Sonja had decided to check out a meteor crash site.

"Why the silence?" asked Lash. "Usually you tell me that I make no sense, and try to explain simple* science, and then I go like, 'oh yeah, I knew that,' and then we laugh and have a good time! What's wrong?"

Sonja sighed. "A few weeks ago, my father was unwell," she said. "He told me, if he didn't live through it, that I should do everything in my power to lead in his place."

"So if your pop dies, you take over..." Lash put her finger to her chin. "So you need someone to off him?"

"Yeah, that's what I-" Sonja caught herself. "NO! I do NOT need someone to kill my father! What is wrong with you, Lash?"

"Just kidding," Lash said, taken off guard by Sonja's outburst. The girl WAS a bit of a scoundrel in endeavors like these. Ever since the "Von Bolt Incident," the two had grown to be close friends, but that still didn't mean that Lash wouldn't pull out a nasty joke like that one every once in a while. "Jeez, learn to take a joke, Sonja."

"That wasn't funny, Lash. I seriously thought you were going to kill my dad!"

"Hey, take a chill pill," Lash said. "Look, we're almost there."

The two COs looked up to see the crater stretching in front of them. It was wide, with sloping sides. In the center of the crater was a massive sphere of metal- something neither of them had expected to see.

Lash stared at the sphere. "Whoa... that wasn't here before."

"Huh?" Sonja said, flabbergasted. "THAT'S the meteor? It looks... unnatural."

"It's no hunk of rock, that's for sure," Lash added.

The pair stared at the metal ball. What could it be? It was almost like some other planet had fired a cannonball at them. It was solid, almost like a prefectly crafted marble.

"Only one way to find out what it is," Lash said. And with that, she slid down the wall of the crater. The princess of Yellow Comet followed, knowing that any day spent with Lash would be a long one...

By the time the two reached the metallic sphere, the sun was setting. They stopped to catch their breath, then stared at the marvellous object in all of its pure glory.

Sonja was the first to speak this time. "This definitely isn't natural. No mere gathering of minerals in subspace could make this... thing."

"I wonder if it's a spaceship," Lash said. "Although it's highly unlikely..."

They looked at it again, and took a few steps forward. Sonja looked around, making sure there weren't any government officials guiding the effort. No, it was just her, Lash, and the giant pinball.

She reached out, and touched the sphere.

As if by reaction, the sphere opened up to reveal a hallway. Sonja blinked a few times, then looked back.

"Hey, Lash," she said, "I think your spaceship theory was right on."

The two were walking down the hallway, and it was freaking Sonja out. The hall was filled with capsules, each one filled with a green liquid substance. Encapsulated in the liquid were several different life-forms, almost as if they were held captive. Reptilians, mammalians, avians, pisceans, even semi-amphibian creatures, in the liquid. They all seemed asleep, apart from a few, who seemingly had resigned to their fate. Sonja thought it was extremely freaky, while Lash merely questioned whether the sleeping ones were alive, or whether the beings were even real in the first place.

The line was drawn between mildly creepy and utterly terrifying when a desperate looking insect-like humanoid smashed against the wall of her tube, which Sonja had been leaning against. She appeared to be screaming, but Lash and Sonja heard no sound- merely the panicked, desperate thrashing of the creature. She pressed her hands against the tube, obviously wanting the girls to free her from her slimy prison. As she thrashed, though, a white mist began to fill the chamber. She inhaled the mist, as she was breathing heavily, and within moments, had calmed down to a sleepind state, her segmented body curling almost into a ball.

"Sleeping gas?" wondered Sonja aloud.

"This alien is some kind of twisted zookeeper," Lash said. "They're not playing some game. Which is too bad, I like to play around."

"So do I, but that's not why I'm here."

A figure appeared in the hallway, a short, feminine figure with blue-tinted skin. She wore a blue denim jacket, typical of human teens, and a short, black, military-grade commander's skirt, like the type Sonja wore. She had long ears and vibrant red hair, and three fingers on each hand. Tubes connected from her chest to air tanks on her back, suggesting that she didn't breathe oxygen.

"Who are you?" asked Sonja, still startled from the bug girl.

"My name is Deiku," replied the alien. Her voice sounded half-mechanized, but if that monotone were gone, she would sound like a typical human. Her eyes met Sonja's- deep, green retinas behind golden irises, staring almost into Sonja's soul. "I am a collector and conqueror, but more importantly, I am here for revenge."

"Revenge for what?" Lash asked. Now even she was becoming frightened. "What did we do to you?"

"Your kind took my father from me," Deiku said. "And for that, you will pay."

"Your father? What do you mean?" Sonja was visibly confused.

"Three years ago," Deiku stated, still in a half-monotone voice, "my father was killed by you humans. I am here to return the favor."

At first, Sonja was confused, What alien had been killed on Earth three years ago? That was during the second Black Hole invasion-

-wait, there was the answer.

Sturm.

* * *

*"Simple" meaning extrordinarily complex theorems that anyone outside of Sonja and Lash would just see as letters and numbers.

* * *

 **So, here are the outlines of the CO's appearing in the chapter...**

 **Sonja: Extra vision in fog, reduces enemy DEF when countering. Bad luck.**

 **Lash: Terrain defense is also used offensively.**

 **Deiku: ?**

 **(Not to worry, I have her skill planned already)**

 **Anyways, let me know what you guys think of these characters and my portrayals. and I'll see you soon.**


	2. Improper Gamble?

**I wanted to say something, but... this chapter is better read for yourself.**

* * *

Deiku stared at the two human girls. They stared back. The flow of information went to Lash's head.

Aliens were real! She'd suspected something of Sturm for a long time, but now her thoughts were confirmed! This was awesome. She'd never met a real extraterrestrial being face-to-face, Sturm notwithstanding- and he hadn't ever lifted his helmet- so Deiku was almost like an angel from heaven to her. A blue, non-oxygenic angel, but an angel nonetheless.

"So, you do like to play," Lash said, energetically. "I've got an idea, why not we play a game, and if you lose, you leave? But if I lose, I give myself up. Deal?"

Sonja stared at Lash with horror. "What?" screamed Sonja. "Are you crazy?"

Lash shook her head. "I know what I'm doing. Besides, I can never resist a good game!"

"Fine, then," Deiku said. "The game will be of my choice. And I choose... warfare."

Sonja's jaw dropped. Warfare was NOT a game! And Lash seemed to be having way too much fun with herself!

"Obviously, to avoid harm," Deiku said, "we will use robotic soldiers. Is that clear?"

"Kinda takes out the drama," Lash said, "but okay."

* * *

Lash was inside of a darkened room. Her headquarters was on the eastern side of the crater- Deiku's on the west. Both CO's were actually inside of the sphere. The room contained three holding tanks- two of them filled, one with a feline woman and the other with some sort of merboy- and the third empty. There was a hole at the top of the cell, presumably to insert prisoners. To insert _her._ Lash shuddered at the thought of being part of an alien zoo, but she was calmed by her army raising the Black Hole flag over a city.

The two had been at it for virtual days, and Lash's army had finally gotten the upper hand. While Deiku's vehicles had proved to be good at crossing all terrain- even mountains- the terrain was Lash's specialty. Attacking from mountains, cities, and forests, she got the upper hand- with forces on mountains, they were forty percent more potent. Victory was in her grasp...

...when suddenly, some sort of virus began to afflict her army.

"No, no, no..." Lash began to panic. "This isn't fun anymore! This is ridiculous! What kind of virus is this?"

She downloaded a file from the soldier nearest the sphere and found, to her horror, that this virus wasn't randomly generated- it had been planted there since the start. Within moments, every soldier in her army was shut down. She found that Deiku's soldiers had no such file.

Deiku's mech unit rushed over to her HQ and began the fatal capture. Lash tried to counterract, but she couldn't deploy her new units in time. The mech lowered the black flag from the tower and replaced it with a deep red flag, one with a red-colored starburst on it. The screen in front of her went black, with merely three words blinking on it- "RED NOVA WINS."

Deiku and Sonja entered the room a minute later.

"You lost," Deiku said. "Now you need to hold up your end of the deal."

"No fair!" Lash said, angrily. "You totally cheated! My army was implanted with a kill-code!"

"What kill-code?" said Deiku innocently; yet Sonja could tell that she was lying. She was Sturm's, alright.

"This is crazy!" Lash said. "I demand a rematch!"

"You said we'd play _a_ game, not _games,_ " Deiku reminded Lash sickly. "You lost, so now you're all mine."

"STOP!" shouted Sonja. "I..."

Lash turned to her friend. "What are you doing?"

"I..." Sonja stood up straight. "I'd like to take Lash's punishment for her."

Lash gasped. Sonja was willing to give up so much, just to let her walk free? Even though the two had built a great bond, she hadn't expected it to be this great- Lash certainly wouldn't have done the same for Sonja- she wasn't as kind. But it seemed that she was starting to understand, and yet this came as her greatest shock.

"Sonja, you don't-"

"Yes, I do," Sonja said.

"But I won't be able to tell anyone!" Lash said. "They won't believe me!"

"Then tell my father," Sonja said, desperately, "that it was Red Nova."

"That nation doesn't exist in Alpha Land!" Lash said, growing more desperate by the second. "And besides... I'm the one who made the bet."

"And I'm fulfilling it."

Lash began to tear up. "But then... who will I play with? Who'll be left to joke with, to solve the mysteries of the universe?" Lash cried. "Who else is as smart, as kind... as good a friend as you?"

"You'll find someone," Sonja said. "Someone to call your own."

And with that, she climbed up onto the balcony. She looked into the cell, and stepped forward.

As Sonja landed, a lid was put onto the cell. It began to fill up with chartruse fluid, similar to the color the other two cells in the room had. Sonja bowed her head in sorrow- sorrow that she may not see her best friend again- and passed out, as the liquid completely engulfed her.

"NO!"

"Don't worry," Deiku said. "She can breathe. That liquid is perfectly safe- unlike water, which will fill up the lungs and drown the victim. Now, go ahead, cry to your fellow humans." Deiku laughed. "Like they'll believe an alien kidnapped the princess of Yellow Comet..."

Lash growled. "Why..." She glared at Deiku, and one would say her afro nearly appeared to spike out. "WHY? What do you have to gain from cheating me out of my best friend? What's in it for you if you wipe out humanity?"

"Like I said," Deiku explained, her usual cybertone ringing in, "I want revenge. My father is dead, and this is humanity's comeuppance."

Deiku turned to walk out, but then stopped for a moment. "Here, your friend dropped this." She handed Lash something that made the young inventor well up with tears- Sonja's glasses.

"Actually, I think I'll stay in here," Deiku said. "I'd like to appreciate my new prize for a while longer."

Lash nodded silently, and left, a frown on her face for the first time since... probably ever.

Deiku turned back to Sonja's holding cell. "Oh, please. She can't have bought that I was going to imprison you..."

The alien waited until she heard the door to her ship close, then looked back at Sonja.

"I already have a human aboard the ship," Deiku said, climbing the stairs. She lifted the cell's cap, and pulled the girl out. "I have no need to immortalize two. But perhaps I can use you in a different way, Sonja of Yellow Comet..."

Deiku produced a needle, and jabbed it into Sonja's arm. Sonja stirred for a moment, then drifted back to sleep.

A few seconds later, the injected area began to change color. Within a minute, it was completely purple, with darker colored spots. And it was spreading. Sonja's legs began to lengthen, too. Her fingers became long and clawed, and her hair began to change to a pale greenish-yellow color, while also becoming wilder.

Deiku looked at the transforming girl. "Soon, no one will recognize you, and you could be presumed dead. You'll be a memory, and your mind will be a shadow of what it used to be..."

Sonja's chest began to bulge, almost physically aging, and her ears lengthened, but not much longer than those of Deiku. Her facial features were almost unchanged, but her eyelashes were growing out- hard to tell how much, as the eyes were closed.

Deiku looked at her creation as the facial area began to turn violet. The girl's teeth sharpened, and a crease in her forehead began to grow hair- a third eye. The daughter of Sturm smiled, and whispered in her victim's ear... "Time to wake up."

The girl's eyes- all three- opened. They were pitch black, with rings of blue floating in the void. They looked forward to see Deiku staring back.

"Who are you?" Deiku asked her creation, almost as a mother would ask a newborn child.

"I..." The words came slowly and carefully. "I am... _I am Purge..."_

Purge. Deiku had readied that name for only a competent being, and Sonja had clearly been worth it. Deiku looked back at Sonja- no, now Purge- and asked one final question.

"Whom do you serve?"

"I... serve you..." Purge wheezed, her voice becoming deeper and more mature. "... _I am a leader... of Red Nova_."

* * *

 **...no comment.**

 **(DEIKU CO UPDATE)**

 **Deiku can cross mountains with TREAD units for 3 movement points. Recon and Rocket units are still out of luck. CO powers aren't yet used.**

 **Deiku is the leader of a new faction, the Red Nova army, which seeks revenge for Sturm's death.**


	3. Red Nova!

**Not much to say for the opening, but for one, the second protagonist of this story, Andy, makes his "Heir" debut! Wait a bit more for Eagle.**

* * *

Mission I

Red Nova!

"RED ALERT! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"

The Orange Star army was in a frantic scramble. Infantry were going every which way, tanks were rushing out of the bases, and the commander was panicking.

"What's happening?" asked Jake, the guy in charge of this headquarters. "We're just losing forces, one after another!"

One of the infantry recruits turned to him. "Sir, commander Andrew has asked if you need aid. Is there any way he can help?"

Jake shook his head. Despite knowing he was trapped, he didn't want Andy to come save his hide AGAIN. He straightened his headphones. "Let's see if I can have a chat with their CO... Maybe then this'll cut out."

The infantry stared at him. "Sir, the video call system only works if you know the adress!"

Suddenly the monitor flared to life. Jake turned to it, and found, in front of him, a woman with wild, chartruse hair. She had a lavender complexion, and three pitch-black eyes with blue rings for irises. She was unusually attractive, but Jake tried hard to disregard that fact.

"Hello, Jacob," spoke the alien. She had a deep, mature voice, and, although sounding familiar in a way that Jake couldn't pinpoint, he didn't have any idea why. "I trust your army is falling, as planned?"

"Who are you?" asked Jake, not wanting to answer her question.

"My name," the creature said calmly, "is Purge. And you've just come into contact with the forces of Red Nova."

"Red Nova?" said Jake, surprised. "I ain't ever heard of a 'Red Nova'! Sure you got the right name?"

"I am certain," assured Purge. "Perhaps you haven't heard of us because we are not from your land?"

"Not even from ANY of our lands!" Jake shouted. "There's only five nations in the four lands we're in, and none of them's called Red Nova, so I dunno what'cha talking about!"

"Jake, your grasp on language is so poor," Purge said, clearly becoming annoyed, "that I'd mistake you for Grit if you sounded the same."

"Grit?" Jake asked. "Wait, you've already trashed Blue Moon?"

"Not entirely," Purge said mischevously. "That'll be Yellow Comet's job..."

"Yellow Comet?" Jake said, growing more and more panicked with every word spoken. "Wh... What'll you do to them?"

"They already have tense relations," Purge explained. "So perhaps I could trigger the Emperor by taking away the one thing he cares about most..."

"Wha-"

"It's been fun, Jake of Orange Star," Purge finished, "but I really must finish you. Goodbye."

And with that, as the monitor flickered off, five soldiers carrying bazookas rushed into the HQ.

Jake had lost.

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Max said as the APC rattled to Orange Star's secondary base in the area. "That maniac tried to hold off on his own!"

"I believe it," Sami growled. "Kid's more arrogant than Olaf sometimes!" She turned to the window. "Hey, speaking of, did you hear that he almost declared war on Kanbei because the latter ate his sandwich?"

"It almost sounds too dumb to believe," Max replied. "Then again, it IS Kanbei and Olaf, so I know it's probably true... hey, this is YOUR transport, right?"

Sami stared for a few seconds. "Yeah... why?"

"Then how'd Andy get here before us?"

Sami looked out the window. Sure enough, she saw a young boy in a red mechanic's suit atop the HQ, with a radio in his hand and a massive wrench slung over his back- both defining characteristics of Max's best friend. The battlefield was ablaze, with tanks firing upon artillery and infantry getting killed over city captures. It was basically nonsense.

"...Luck?"

Max sighed. "It's not like he took one of Sensei's copters or something... Yellow Comet's been especially careful with their tech since Sonja left for Black Hole." The strongman glanced at Andy once more. "And it's probably going to stay that way... Let's hope Andy decides to be more reasonable than Jake..."

The pair disembarked from the transport... which was then hit by a volley of rocket fire.

"WHOA!" shouted Sami. "That was TOO close."

"I'll say," Andy shouted back from atop the headquarters. "You two almost got roasted, and I couldn't fix that!"

Max crossed his arms. "I still don't know how you got here first!"

"I was closer," replied Andy. "Plus, after a run-in with some of those Red Nova recons, I souped-up my APC. I still thought one of your APC's would be faster, Sami."

"Can we please get inside before those rockets are reloaded?"

"Sure thing, Sam..."

* * *

"So, here's the plan," Andy explained. "After all of those hits, our forces are pretty bleak, so here's my plan. We take that infantry..." Andy pointed to a lone soldier on the battlefield. "...load him into that APC, and roll it close enough to the enemy HQ that we can make it. That's where you come in, Sami."

"I get it," Sami said. "We go for a Victory March. Then, that one man can topple their HQ in one move!"

"Right!" Andy said. "Meanwhile, Max, until that point, we need your medium tanks to wall for us. Only afterwards can we engage with Sami's super strength."

"One problem," Max said. "The army has enough problems listening to two of us. How are we going to work with THREE?"

"Simple," Sami said. "Andy never said he was going to lead this battle. It's ours to fight, Max."

* * *

Within seconds, the enemy HQ was down. An APC returned with two figures- one taller and more off-colored, the other younger with blonde hair.

"Get Jake to a safe place," Sami said. "I'd like to have a few words with the enemy CO..."

* * *

Purge glared at the girl sitting across from her. She didn't like being tied up at all.

"Let's start this easy," Sami said. "Who ARE you?"

"I've said it a thousand times today," the alien responded, "and I'll say it again. My name is Purge."

"How on earth did you get a monicker like that?"

"It's a label of power," Purge explained, "given by my creator."

"Creator?" asked Sami suspiciously. "Were you conceived in a test tube?"

"No, but I may as well have been," Purge responded.

"So you were... made this way?"

Purge remained silent. Sami came to the conclusion that this line of questioning was futile, and shook her head. "Different question, then," she said. "Where is the princess of Yellow Comet?"

"We do not have her," Purge said. "She is no captive of ours."

"Oh, really?" Sami said, growing even more suspicious than before. "Then why did Jake tell us that you had Sonja in your clutches?"

"I didn't say we did. _Yet."_

Sami, now becoming visibly frustrated, slammed the desk. "Fine, then, at least tell me where your base of operations is? Then we can check for sure!"

"We do not have a base of operations," Purge casually asserted. "Rather, we come from the stars."

"So your grand headquarters is IN SPACE?" Sami asked, now completely upset from the absurd claims her interrogatee had made. "You don't have Sonja, you were 'created,' your main base is in space of all things..."

"We do have a plan, though," Purge stated. "A plan for Black Hole."

"Black Hole..." Sami said. Then, it clicked. Sonja's last seen location.

It had been Black Hole.

* * *

 **And so begins my new journey to reach a tiny fanbase. Seriously, as soon as Switch Wars is released, this fic will have A LOT MORE ATTENTION.**


	4. Black Hole's Subjugation

**Hello, readers, welcome back! When we last saw our intrepid hero, Andy, he and his best friends had defeated an alien commander named Purge, who hinted at trouble in the nation of Black Hole...**

* * *

"This is the place, right?"

Andy asked this as he turned to his good buddy. Max nodded. "Sami says some shaky stuff might be going on in Black Hole. Of course, with their piperunner defenses, I can't get the APC past the border without meeting with someone to shut them off."

"Got it," Andy said. "I'll radio General Hawke, he's way more understanding."

Andy grabbed his comm device. "Hawke. Hawke, are you there?"

Silence, for a moment. Then, a new voice spoke back.

"Hawke can't come to the phone right now, Commander," said a young, feminine voice. It certainly didn't belong to Lash or Kindle, though. "But if you'd like, we can send him a message."

Andy scratched his head. "That's odd," he pondered. "Hawke's never without communications, he always has a backup plan. There's no way he-"

Then, a muffled grunt came from the other side of the speaker. Andy recognized it instantly- "Hawke? Is that you?"

The girl on the other end growled. "I said he can't talk with you right now."

"What have you done to Black Hole's general?" the mechanic asked, glaring daggers at his own comm system, although the person on the other end couldn't see him.

"We have no time for this," said the girl, angrily. "Back down, or we will be forced to destroy you." At this, the piperunners moved closer to the two Orange Star COs, to firing range, and a Neotank rolled in front of the gate.

"That's no leader of Black Hole," Max said aloud. "She's dead serious."

Andy adjusted the radio frequency. "Bad news, guys, Black Hole's been toppled, we need reinforcements."

Meanwhile, however, the enemy CO had adjusted her own radio. "So it's war, then..."

"Yeah, war," Max said. "But not on Black Hole. On you."

"Ahaha," the girl laughed. "We'll see about that."

"One question," Andy asked. "You wouldn't work with that alien commander who attacked us before, would you? Does the name 'Purge' ring a bell?"

"Far too many," the young girl said. "But don't worry, we of Red Nova wish nothing more than to destroy our transgressors. It's simple vengeance, Andrew."

Andy's jaw dropped. "How- How do you know my name?"

"My father knew it, and he passed down his knowledge of you to me," said the voice. "You were a thorn in his side from the beginning. You and your 'allied nations,' as you call them."

"Your father?"

"I think we're getting off-topic," the young girl said. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to blast you and your big-armed friend to bits. So long, Andy."

Both of the piperunners readied their cannons, but suddenly, something demolished them from above. A hail of explosive death annihlated both cannons instantly.

"What the-"

Andy and Max looked up to see a pair of emerald bombers soaring overhead. They were most certainly the weapons of their salvation. And Andy personally figured out the pilot of one in no time flat.

"Hey, Eagle!" called Andy eagerly. "Long time, no see!"

The radio crackled to life, and the voice of the young pilot came over. "You're welcome, Andy," he said a tad ungratefully.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to thank you, my bad-"

"The Neotank!" Max yelled. Sure enough, the black orb of death was rolling towards the duo.

Andy crossed his arms. "They don't give up, do they?"

Eagle's voice came back. "That tank's not goint to worry you much longer!" He turned to his own radio system and called, "Initiate Lightning Strike attack!"

"You got it, sir," the other pilot said. The bombers swooped back around and destroyer the Neotank with their combined firepower.

"Nice one!" Max yelled.

But then, one of the bombers erupted into fiery demise. The three officers were shocked, but it didn't take long for Eagle to see why.

"Crud," he told the other two, "they have _missiles."_

"Got a parachute up there?" asked Max.

"Yeah..."

"THEN USE IT!" Andy yelled, panicked. It wasn't long before the second bomber blew up, but thankfully, Andy and Max saw a parachute deploy.

"Dang," said their enemy. "Everything's gotta be difficult with you guys, huh?"

"We're coming for you, Red Nova CO!" Andy shouted.

"No, you're not. I'm getting out of here."

Then, a deep, sadistic voice- Adder's- crackled over. "Shall I toy with them for a while, madam?"

Andy balled his fist. "Adder, you snake! You're betraying your own country?"

"I'm only loyal to one side," Adder said calmly. "The winning side. And right now, it seems that Red Nova has the edge."

A beeping sound came over the comm, and then, a white beam of light shot into the sky. "That was our teleporter," Adder said. "It seems you've just missed your chance to capture Commander Deiku and save Hawke. She took him with her, you know."

Andy was about to speak, but then, as if on cue, his reinforcements showed up.

"Max," he said, "find this 'Deiku' character. She has Hawke, and I'll bet she leads Red Nova."

"On it," Max said, before climbing in an APC and riding off.

"Eagle," Andy began, but the pilot finished his sentence.

"I'm with you, I know," he said. "Oh, and by the way, you owe me one."

"For what, you saving my life at the last minute?"

"Big time," Eagle said. "If I wasn't honing my bombing tactics, you'd be roasted by now."

Andy laughed. "I still can't believe you pulled a Lightning Strike when all you'd been doing was training."

"Oh, really?" asked Eagle. "I'd have thought you were ready to tune up your army by this point."

The younger CO turned towards the Black Hole fortress. "Less talking, more fighting, okay?"

"You started it, not me."

"Shut up."

* * *

 **What will become of Eagle and Andy? Why is Adder such a jerk? And when will Lash arrive to give them the crucial info the pair needs to understand why Red Nova is attacking? Find out soon, on Heir of the Cosmos.**


	5. Revelations and Relations!

Adder's forces were fierce- Andy knew that much. The former Black Hole CO was sneaky. He'd feed countless infantry to Andy's tanks and Eagle's copters, to use his abilities and power up his units' engines. He didn't believe in fair play one bit, and always had masses of army to assault small forces.

But thankfully for Andy, he had improved since he and Adder had first fought. He wasn't the dense child from his first year of commanding. No more questioning the existence of continents, or forgetting what airports were. No more helping Olaf attack a missile platform with only a handful of units, and no more letting others push him around. He was an Orange Star CO, and he was darn sure to prove it today.

Andy ensured he had bases nearby, realizing that he had three, and assessed the situation quickly. He was up against a fortified complex, with missiles inside, and a total of FIVE bases from which to produce an army. Not to mention he was facing Adder, a sneaky tactician with more bark than bite, but who made his command decisions rather quickly.

Thankfully, he had an ally- Eagle. The Green Earth CO had two bases and an airport in the vicinity of the battle, so he'd be able to aid Andy in the battle. Andy was thankful that Black Hole was so close to Green Earth territory.

He ordered his bases to train a few infantry, which they did. Eagle produced two more. Then, Adder made his first wave.

Andy got to work. He told two of his infantry to capture cities, and the other to advance. Eagle built a Transport Copter, loading one of his infantry and moving the other towards another city to capture. These two CO's were at the top of their game. But so was Adder, who moved all of his units forward.

"Crap," Eagle said. "I can see a communications tower in there, and it's under Red Nova control."

"Meaning they'll relay info to each other, and be able to strike with more precision," Andy added.

"Y'know," Eagle decided, "I liked you better when you were playful and dumb."

Andy smiled. "No offense taken."

The battle continued to play out, and all three commanders were pushing their limits. Copters flew, missiles fired, artillery shot, tanks blasted... It became madness. But neither side- Allied, or Nova- would give up. And that meant this battle would last a while.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Orange Star central base, Sami opened the door to Purge's cell.

"Alright, we've found one of your strongholds," she told the alien. "You may as well spill why you're doing this."

Purge crossed her arms. "That should have been quite unneccessary," she said nonchalantly. "In fact, you should have already known our Lady Deiku's motives. But considering you're too dumb to figure it out, I'm going to tell you that she has a... connection, should I say, to the wars of four years ago."

"That's not really helpful," Sami growled. "Seriously, it's like you're trying to push all of my buttons."

Purge smiled. "Commander Samantha of the Orange Star armies, was it not?" she asked. "In that sense, will you believe if I say that I know more about you than even you do?"

"What do you mean?" Sami said, taken aback. "I've been fighting for Orange Star ever since I graduated from the Acacemy!"

"What was your life like before the Academy?" Purge asked.

Sami didn't have an answer to that question. She couldn't remember her childhood one bit. She couldn't even remember if she grew up in a family. She knew who she was, but she didn't know WHO she was, if you will.

"That's right," Purge added, "I know your past. You may not know, but I do. So, Commander, if you will release me, I'll give you all the answers."

Sami crossed her arms. "You're not getting out, even if it means I'll never learn my past."

"Well," Purge said, "that's a shame. I'm already out."

And indeed she was. The alien's bindings had disappeared entirely, and she was outside of the cell.

"What... ARE you?" Sami asked.

"All in due time," replied Purge. "For now, though, I'd like you to see our base of operations. I'm certain you will find answers there."

Why at the Red Nova base? How would that unlock her past? Sami was both confused and surprised.

But then again, perhaps it could be ample time for infiltration. Perhaps this could be the way to find out how these aliens worked.

"Fine," Sami said. "But we're taking MY APC, got it?"

"Very well," Purge said. "Ah, it's wonderful to be working together again."

"Again?"

This question would go unanswered for a while.

* * *

"Sidewinder assault!" declared Adder. "Seal all of the entrances!"

The Red Nova Neotanks closed up all of the opening in the complex, giving Andy quite the surprise. "We can't get the infantry in like this," he said.

"Not on the ground," Eagle said. "Transport copters, deploy any Infantry possible in the complex!"

"Sir," one of the pilots said, "the pipes are radiating energy that prevents us from crossing."

"Leave that to me," Andy said. "Artillery units and Medium Tanks, fire on that seam!"

The units did just that, opening a hole in the pipes from which additional units now entered, including several transports.

"What?" Adder shouted. "No! Tanks, abandon the main entrance! Attack the Allied CO's!"

The Neotanks were moving, but Andy had already begun to capture the enemy headquarters. Eagle, meanwhile, ordered his units to surround and defend the infantry.

"No, no, NO!" Adder shouted. He slammed a button on his control panel and rushed to a small room, closing the door. But it was no room- it was an escape pod.

The pod blasted off, but Andy was confident that Adder had been set back. He raced to the top floor of the headquarters, and began searching for the teleporter.

"Where is it?" he shouted. Then, he heard a computerized voice-

 _SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE IN T-10... 9..._

Adder!

Andy dropped his search for the teleporter and raced toward the balcony. He had to jump.

He leapt, expecting to hit the ground, but luckily, Eagle's copters caught him. The pair flew away as the Red Nova tower exploded in a grisly flame.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Red Nova's key headquarters, an orange APC arrived at the gates. Sami and Purge got out, and went straight to the main entrance.

 _"Please enter the password,"_ flashed a keypad.

Purge cracked her knuckles for a moment, then typed a code into the pad. The gates to the HQ opened, and the two CO's went inside.

"I'll admit," Purge said, "I had my doubts on whether the truth would be too much for you. It's not too late for you to turn back, you know." Purge smiled. "You know the location of our base of operations. You could easily inform your fellow CO's, and defeat us soon."

That WAS a good plan. Purge had given Sami all the things she needed to win.

"But... then again," Purge added, "should you leave now, you may never learn who you really are."

Sami stopped. Mere seconds ago, she had been ready to bring down Red Nova early into the war. Now, with Purge telling her all of these things, she wasn't so sure.

"I'll take your silence as indecisiveness," Purge said. "So, I'll sweeten the deal... Here's a sneak peek."

She fired a strange ray at Sami- but it wasn't painful, not physically, at least. The ray instead projected a mental image.

The room she was in was dark. She could see a few lights. She was in some sort of tube. Then, in the dream, in came... Sturm.

"My creations," he said. "Mere clones of great warriors, for the most part. Inferior to the real thing." He shook his head- or was it his helmet? Sami couldn't tell.

"But you," he said, turning to Sami. "You are my finest creation. You are no clone. You are my ultimate warrior."

"What?" Sami muttered. She wasn't going to believe this. It was a lie, all of it.

Sturm stared at her. "I am certain that any foes I meet will be toppled by you, in time," he told her. "But for now, I'm going to execute Project Z..."

A blue-skinned girl appeared in the hall, behind Sturm. "Daddy," she asked, "what's Project Z?"

"The warrior will be placed into a group resembling her," he said. "A people whom she thinks is her own. However, when the time is right," he added, turning to his creation, "you will serve me."

Sami couldn't believe a word he said. Was she really just... a weapon? A non-human organism created to help Sturm take over the world?

But this couldn't be true. Sturm was dead, and she had not once betrayed Orange Star. Were it true, she would have destroyed her own country long ago.

She regained her own vision. Purge smiled. "Your past shows you who you are meant to become," Purge said. "A destroyer of worlds."

"I... I refuse to believe that!" Sami shouted. "Lies, all of it!"

"Perhaps I have not shown you enough..."

Sami growled. "You haven't shown me anything!" she said.

Purge smiled. "You were created to blend in to any race," she said. "Your genetic structure is unstable, Warrior. You believe humanity is your friend, when in reality you destroyed your own creator."

Sami's fists shook. "You're trying to confuse me again! Saying I'm some sort of shape-shifter... that I should help YOU... What do you plan on gaining?"

"I see you are hard to enlighten," Purge said. "But I have one more surprise for you. Try changing yourself into another being."

The Orange Star CO knew this wasn't real. She grinned, and held her hand in front of her. She winked at Purge as she thought hard...

...and then gasped in horror as her hand began to change into a green, clawed mess- exactly what she had thought.

"What?" Sami said in confusion. "No... this CAN'T be real, it CAN'T..."

"But it is," Purge said. "Lady Deiku!" she called.

The blue-skinned alien from Sami's odd dream arrived. "Purge, what would you like to say?"

Purge smiled at Deiku, putting a hand on the surprised Sami's shoulder. "Your sister has returned."

* * *

 **PLOT TWIST!**

 **Anyway, to clear up some confusion, this last chapter was more intended to showcase the start of Sami's inevitable but gradual descent into madness. She's kind of become a major character, and her story arc is, in no way, finished.**

 **Meanwhile, Andy and Eagle defeated Adder but then again, he's Adder and will come back eventually. Purge has broken out of jail, and Deiku and Sami have finally uncovered their past. What will happen next?**

 **CO LIST, thus far**

 **ORANGE STAR: Andy, Max, Jake**

 **BLUE MOON: Olaf**

 **GREEN EARTH: Eagle**

 **YELLOW COMET: Kanbei**

 **BLACK HOLE: Hawke, Lash**

 **RED NOVA: Deiku, Purge/Sonja, Adder**

 **UNDECIDED: Sami**

 **Review if you liked, and as always, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	6. The Incredible Morphing Girl

"Jake? Jake, are you in there?"

"I'll be right there," the chill dude CO said, rushing to the door. He opened it to see Sami, appearing just bushed.

"Rough night, huh?"

"Yeah," the infantry specialist mumbled. "I have to warn you- the Red Nova CO escaped!"

"She did what?" shouted Jake.

"I..." Sami was about to say something, but it looked like she was surpressing it. "She tricked me, okay? She told me she wanted to talk, and I stupidly let her out."

"Huh," Jake said. "You're usually smarter than that."

Sami crossed her arms. "Shut up."

"Just sayin'," Jake said, "you aren't the type to free the crooks, she musta pulled one on you good."

"I..." Sami shook her head. "I didn't understand a word of that."

"Whatev's," Jake said, looking out the window. "I'd better get my troops moving."

The musically inclined commander began to walk out of the room, but he was lost in thought. Sami was normally MUCH smarter than her description of Purge's escape. She would have at least shut the doors, and even then, the keys to the war vehicles were only held on Orange Star personnel...

"Sami?" asked Jake. "You let her go, didn't you?"

"What?"

"You heard me," Jake said, angrily. "I know you're not the dumb type, and I know you ain't the girl who'd let the enemy touch your APC's."

Sami narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you saying? That I personally escorted her back to Red Nova headquarters? How would I know the destination?"

Jake didn't know the answer. He was, however, sure that Sami knew more than she let on. She was a bad liar, but Jake couldn't find a plausible reason to remove her from command- nor the jurisdiction. Between himself, Andy, and Max, none of them had that type of authority. They weren't Rachel or Nell, and besides, they probably wouldn't think he was right. And while Hachi might believe his claims, the old man had retired a long time ago.

But before he could piece together a plan, an announcement came over the loudspeakers.

 _ATTENTION, CO JAKE. MESSAGE INCOMING FROM BLACK HOLE. REPEAT, MESSAGE INCOMING FROM BLACK HOLE._

"We'll finish this later," said Jake, running out of the room.

* * *

Sami watched him leave. She muttered under her breath. This would not be as easy as she had hoped.

A part of her told her that she was doing something wrong as she walked to her quarters. That she had been manipulated by Deiku into serving a cause that wasn't just.

But her gut told her it was true. She was a designed weapon. It was her destiny to destroy and conquer, whether she liked it or not. And, to her surprise, she was okay with it. She was fine with being a genetically engineered infiltrator.

Jake had caught on. No big deal. This was Jake. Nobody would believe him. He was the butt-monkey of Orange Star at this point, even more so than _Andy._ His words meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Sami finally arrived in her quarters. She opened the door, and stepped inside. Here, she was certain that she was alone.

She stepped toward the mirror in her room, and began to stare at herself. Her body, after all that she had been through, was in reality just a disguise. She could alter it at will. It was her sole existence to wage war and cause catastrophe- a reason for life given by her creator.

Sami stared into her own eyes, and as she thought, they changed color, from a dark auburn to a bright red to an emerald green. She could even change their structure- reptillian eyes, with amber scleras and slits for pupils, cat eyes, with thin pupils on green backs, compounded eyes, looking in multiple directions... and those were just her _eyes._ Everything about her could change, from head to toe. Her skin, hair, size, age, even gender, could be changed in an instant.

For now, though, she reverted to her original look- a regular, human female with orange-brown hair and a kind-looking face. Clearly, looks could be deceiving. Although, next time she was alone, perhaps she could have a little fun...

* * *

"Hello?" Andy asked through the tranceiver. "Jake, are you there?"

The rapper's crackling voice came back. "Here, bud, what'cha need?"

"Eagle and I just had a run-in with Adder. Also, Red Nova kidnapped Hawke... somehow."

Jake's voice came back. "Sami just lost the captive, too. I'm worried she's planning something."

Andy stepped back in shock, then shook his head. "Come on, Jake, it's Sami. She would never betray us."

"That's what worries me," Jake said. "Girl's never lost a captive until today."

"Odd," Eagle added. "Still, I doubt she's capable of turning her back on the Allied Nations."

"I'm keeping an eye on her," Jake reported, "just in case. I'll call you back, Andy."

"Alright."

The radio turned to static, as Andy lost the signal. He turned to Eagle. "This is definitely big and weird."

"You think?" asked the pilot.

The pair looked up to see a lone figure, running across the plains toward them. They were clad in a dark trenchcoat, and their head, from a distance, looked like an ebony marble. Eagle squinted across, and quickly recognized the stray person.

"Lash?"

The mechanic and pilot were soon face to face with the inventor in question- but she didn't stop. She came barreling into Eagle in her panicked run.

"Aeugh!" grunted Eagle. "Not the goggles!"

Lash quickly realized her mistake, and stepped back. "Oh, sorry, Eagle. I just need to tell you something BIG! You too, Andy!"

"Let me guess... is it about Red Nova?" Andy crossed his arms.

"Yeah," Lash said. "They have Sonja."

"What?" Andy said. "Sami told us that they DIDN'T!"

"No," Eagle realized. "This was General Purge's statement. It could've easily been a hoax."

"Whatever the case," Lash said, panicked, "Kanbei thinks Olaf kidnapped her."

"Olaf?" asked Eagle. "Why Olaf?"

"Remember the 'sandwich incident'?" Andy asked him.

Eagle shrugged. "You've got a point."

"Well," Lash said, turning to the two boys, "it's about to get BAD. There's a massive Yellow Comet fleet inbound to Blue Moon, and it's full of battleships, plus about ten landers carrying medium tanks... and one _megatank_."

"A megatank?" Andy asked in disbelief. "Why the heck would Kanbei risk sending a MEGATANK on a lander across that distance?"

Eagle thought for a moment, and grinned. "This question, asked about the kid who forgot what airports were, about a man who captured a base on a secluded island..."

Andy scratched his head. "It was one time, Eagle. Let it go."

"As soon as we all forget about the time Flak had that Battleship in a lake."

Lash giggled for a moment, then shook her head. As much as it bothered her, this was NOT the time for fun. "There are plenty of Mech-carrying Black Boats with them," she added. "That explains how they've been floating for so long."

"Why build such a large navy anyway?" asked Eagle. "Who does he think he is, Drake? Colin? Freaking _Hachi_?"

"Mostly to transport the tanks," Lash answered. "All they need is one base to repel Blue Moon's air forces, too."

"Drat..." growled Andy. "Not to mention, it's Kanbei's navy..."

Eagle thought. "Meaning we need subs to stop its arrival."

"Subs?" Lash asked, confused. "Where are we going to get that many subs?"

Andy smiled. "Blue Moon does have someone who can make those easily..."

* * *

Roughly an hour later, Sami returned, alone, to her room. This time, she was interested in testing her ability.

She began to remove her jacket, as the results of transformation would be most prevalent with more skin showing. She wasn't going to levels where she was fully undressed, though- she wasn't that kind of person. It made her uncomfortable to see herself in the mirror nude.

She eventually changed into a two-piece bathing suit, arguably her most revealing outfit without degrading into absolute nudity. The infantry specialist studied her current body, acknowledging every detail. Then, she decided to make a few changes, just for fun.

Her first change to her structure involved transforming herself into a yellow-orange color. This already made a difference, so she progressed, her eyes becoming emerald green, with red slits. That was enough re-coloring. She needed to make some real changes.

Sami lengthened her limbs, giving herself an older appearance. She decided to slim herself, for reasons that only she could fathom. Then, she made a few significant changes.

Her hand structure began to alter, eventually culminating in suction at the fingertips. She could cling to walls and ceilings in this state. She allowed a similar change to take onto her feet. Her teeth sharpened. She felt a long, reptillian tail emerge from her coccyx, and it quickly poked out from the back of her swimwear. Sami thought about herself, and what sort of monster she'd turned into.

And surprisingly, she was content.

She felt... free, in this form.

Knowing her true origins, perhaps this was the form she was meant to have taken from the beginning.

Sami walked to the mirror, studying herself. Both fearsome and wonderful at the same time, she appeared as one who you would want to love, but be frightened of due to her dangerous appearance. She was a hunter, a warrior, a bringer of death. And this body was one she would learn to quite enjoy.

 _Of course_ , she thought, _this is just the first take. I'm probably going to find one I like more._

Sami let the changes recede, while walking toward her desk. She opened a notebook, and began writing.

 _long limbs, tail, suction cups, sharp teeth, color_

She smiled. That was a good start. She should probably change back into her regular clothes, to not arouse suspicion.

But then, she HAD come here to test her limits.

She thought, and felt her feminine features receding, masculine ones replacing them. She looked in the mirror, seeing Andy wearing her swimwear.

 _Whoops!_ thought Sami. _Let's not try that again..._

She quickly abandoned the thought of turning into Andy, morphing back into herself. She then attempted becoming Sonja, and felt her body accepting the change. She was soon a shorter girl with dark-colored pigtails. She transformed one last time, this round to become Nell. She felt her age progress rapidly, as Sonja was far younger than Nell. Her hair grew long and blonde, and she even remembered the mole on her cheek.

Sami shrugged. She'd tested plenty, and now it was time to be serious. She returned to her generic form, and changed back into her regular uniform. She just hoped she didn't transform in front of the other CO's...

* * *

 **Writing this chapter slightly worried me, I was struggling to maintain a T rating, especially for Sami's scene. Nonetheless, since she wasn't actually nude, I think I very much avoided the dreaded M.**


	7. Colin's Naval Strike, Part One

**I'm doing particularly good for myself. And don't worry, this'll be the last of the "Sami Chapters"... for now. Also, the beginning of an actual battle chapter is about to unfold! Next chapter will ACTUALLY HAVE A BATTLE, so stay tuned!**

* * *

 **MISSION 3 OPENING**

 **Colin's Naval Strike, Part 1**

Things were DEFINITELY looking grim for the Orange Star army. They had lost a dangerous prisoner, and their all-star CO had almost died due to a self-destruct sequence. And that was just _two days ago._ At this point, Purge was attacking the Orange Star HQ with a relentless barrage of B-copters, tanks, and artillery. _._

Rachel was one of Orange Star's most confident CO's, and boy, was she stressed about the whole ordeal. She walked over to Jake, who was already scrambling over his terminal to place defenses.

"Jake, this isn't some game," Rachel said. "This is an onslaught. It's not going to be as lighthearted as having a friendly chat with both sides and then laughing off the battle to a drink bought by the loser, you know."

"I know, Ray," Jake said, concentrating frantically on the forces.

"Ray?" asked the tutor CO. "Is that your new nickname for me or something?"

"I dunno," Jake mumbled.

Rachel rolled her eyes. She wasn't getting a response from Jake anytime soon. She left the room, only to come face to face with Sami.

"Perfect timing, Rachel," the young ginger-brown girl said. "I have to show you something!"

"Sami," Rachel said, "this isn't time for cool stuff. This is not-"

Sami grabbed Rachel's hand anyway. "Seriously, this actually has to do with the war."

Rachel smiled. "Uh... okay. Lead on."

She followed Sami, and the pair eventually went through the halls, coming into Sami's quarters. Sami closed the door behind them as the two women CO's arrived.

"So," Rachel asked, "What did you want to show me?"

Sami closed her eyes. "First off, I just want to say that I'm sorry for losing Purge. Second off... I know where a Red Nova base is."

* * *

"Wh- what?"

Colin couldn't believe what he was hearing. A massive naval attack from Yellow Comet? What?

"It's true," Andy said. "They think CO Olaf kidnapped Sonja. We know Red Nova has her, but Kanbei definitely doesn't."

"So we need lots of subs and battleships to counter," Lash added. "That's where you come in. Your navy is dirt cheap, it's gonna be easy to get out."

Colin scratched his head. "So, even if I was willing to believe that Red Nova exists, and their CO's are masterminding a war between Olaf and Kanbei, what do they have to gain? Why?"

"They already took Black Hole," Andy explained, "and I think they're going further. Plus, if Grit gets involved, Adder's gonna want a piece of him."

Eagle crossed his arms. "Listen, kid, this is going to work. Trust me."

Colin thought to himself. "O... Okay! I got it!"

"And one more thing," added Eagle. "You're lucky it isn't Drake."

"Yes, sir!" Colin said, giving Eagle a salute. "I'll ready my men for a naval battle!"

* * *

Sami's mood had fluctuated quite a bit since her past had been revealed. Sometimes she wished for Orange Star's destruction, and other times she only wished for its safety. Here she couldn't make up her mind. While her instincts told her to attack the CO she'd just informed of the hidden base, her heart held her back.

Rachel could not have known any of this. She was pondering whether Sami's intel on the Red Nova base was true.

"It's real," Sami said. "Truth is, Purge showed it to me in exchange for her freedom. I feel really guilty about taking a bribe, but..."

"It can't be helped," replied the repair specialist. "She's out, and we know the base. End of story. So, where's the base?"

Sami zoomed the map out. "It's right here, near our current location, actually. Their constant assaults on us that Jake's starting to hold off against are all coming from that headquarters."

"Even the copters..." Rachel pondered aloud.

"What we need," Sami decided, "is to get someone in there without the thing self-destructing. Adder pulled that on Andy and almost got him killed."

Rachel smiled. "We can do this," she decided. "I'll mobilize my troops immediately."

As Rachel got up, though, Sami felt something in her soul shatter. She felt as if this was wrong. Her country wanted this, but her father wouldn't have. It felt somewhat awkward.

"Actually, Rachel," she muttered, "why should we up and assault right there?"

Rachel paused. "What?" she asked, confused.

"You heard me," Sami said. "I feel like attacking now is the wrong idea."

And with that, she grabbed Rachel's communicator. Rachel made for the door, but it was sealed.

"I'm surprised," Sami said. "I almost let you go with valuable information. I should have left you with a false lead."

"Why?" Rachel asked. "Why are you turning your back on Orange Star?"

"Oh, Rachel," said Sami. Her voice was taking on a triple-toned font, her normal tone alongside a higher-and-lower pitched version. "Sweet, naive Rachel..."

"Naive?"

"You still haven't guessed, have you? Well, you might have, but it's highly improbable.

Sami smiled, and her body began to change shape. It eventually came to the form that she had created two days ago, complete with the red slits for eyes and the wicked, slasher smile. She stepped forward, her uniform looking a bit small but still nonetheless covering.

Rachel blinked. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. Sami stepped forward again, her menacing, toothy grin giving off a sinister vibe.

"What... What are you?"

Sami said nothing. She finally stopped, about two feet away from Rachel. Her tail swished around, wrapping around the body of the CO. Rachel felt her impending doom coming closer and closer as Sami, with her in tow, leapt toward the window. The beast opened said window and crawled out, with some kind of suction holding her to the wall.

Sami crossed the sides of the wall, eventually ending up above Rachel's window.

"They'll say it was an accident," Sami finally said, "or even a suicide. That it was completely unplanned by me. Not a word will be suspected."

Sami raised her tail so Rachel was face to face with her. "And you? You'll be gone. Entirely. My master will have one fly swatted, and your sister will be out of commission for some time due to grief. Even Jake won't suspect a thing."

"You... monster..." croaked Rachel.

The creature smiled. "That's how you adress the one who's served you for so long? Our country was merely a ruse for my development. This is me, Rachel. The real me."

Rachel closed her eyes. "How long have you been this... thing?"

"No time," Sami said. "Goodbye, Rachel. It was nice knowing you!"

Sami flicked her tail, intending to release Rachel. She braced herself for the fall... but it never came. She opened her eyes, and looked up to see Sami's expression, horrified at what she'd almost done. Neither said a single word for a full minute before Sami lowered Rachel into the window.

"Not a word, Rachel," Sami said, her features beginning to return to normal. Her face and voice, at least, had reverted back to their non-bestial versions. "It's better if I just leave."

"Wait a second," Rachel said. "Just a minute ago, you were about to kill me! What gives?"

Sami shook her head. "Some questions don't need answering. I'm still trying to figure out myself. But Jake and Andy don't need to know. Max, maybe, but only tell him under dire circumstances."

As she said this, she began to crawl down the wall. She looked Rachel in the eye, and Rachel even saw a tear fall from her eye.

"I don't know what came over me," Sami said. "I don't know why. But I _will_ find answers. I may not be as human as yourself, but I still hope to be that type."

Rachel scratched her head. "Are you... some kind of alien?"

"Sort of," Sami said. "I'll give you command of my forces while I'm gone, Rachel. In the meantime, I have to talk with my sister."

"Your sister?" asked Rachel.

"I have to go," she said quickly. "Rachel... I've been having some pretty unusual moments lately. But no matter what, I'm always going to be your friend; even if I tear you to shreds, I'm going to regret it."

She leapt off of the wall, landing without a scratch. A fall from that height would have slain Rachel, and Sami knew it perfectly well. That HAD been her plan, after all. She looked back up at Rachel, and smiled.

"Remember the map," Sami said. "It's going to be important."

* * *

Colin looked at the fleet he'd built up. There were Black Boats loaded with infantry, battleships, subs, cruisers for dealing with subs, landers with rockets on board, and carriers complete with light aircraft.

"You know," he reminded Andy, "I am fighting Kanbei. He's basically my polar opposite. Maybe I can't do this, he has the stronger, more expensive stuff but I have the cheap light stuff-"

"Colin," Andy reminded the CO of Blue Moon. "You can do this, okay? Eagle is going to try to convince Kanbei to pull back, and when he does, we've won."

"Andy, it's Kanbei," Lash pointed out. "We could be here for days, you know."

"So just hold off until then," Andy said. "Don't play agressively. This is a defensive mission, and we need to NOT start conflict right about now."

Colin nodded. He was ready for this. He stepped out to the balcony of the HQ.

"All right, Navy of Blue Moon," he shouted, "set sail to intercept Emperor Kanbei's fleet!"


End file.
